By Keith Idec
Kell Brook will realize a childhood dream when he encounters Errol Spence Jr. on May 27 in Brook’s hometown.
Their 12-round fight, a mandatory defense of Brook’s IBF welterweight title, finally was officially announced Wednesday during a press conference at Bramall Lane, a soccer stadium in Brook’s native Sheffield, England. It’ll mean even more to Brook to face a powerful opponent people thought he’d avoid on the pitch where Sheffield United FC plays its home games.
“I’m so excited about this fight and also about making history in my city,” Brook said. “It’s long been a dream of mine to fight outdoors at Bramall Lane and I’m pleased to do that in the biggest fight in the welterweight division. I saw many people talk about how I would avoid Errol Spence. They don’t know me, they don’t know what I’m about. All I’ve ever wanted to do is to give the fans the fights they want and they have it right here on May 27th. I’m going to show the world that I’m the best welterweight on the planet and I’m going to do it right before my people’s eyes.”
Once what would’ve been a lucrative domestic showdown with Amir Khan fell through, Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) demanded to go through with a fight against Spence (21-0, 18 KOs), the No. 1 challenger for his IBF 147-pound championship. Their promoters, Eddie Hearn (Brook) and Tom Brown (Spence), came to an agreement February 13, a day before the scheduled purse bid for their fight.
“This is one of the best fights in world boxing,” Hearn said. “Many believed that Kell Brook would look to avoid Errol Spence, but he is a proud man who never ducks a challenge. Coming off the fight with Triple-G, this is an extremely tough fight to come back to. But I believe Kell Brook is the best welterweight in the world and he will have the chance to prove it on May 27th. It's ‘The Special One’ vs. ‘The Truth,’ a historic event at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane. We are planning an unforgettable night.”
Brook’s bout with Spence will mark his first fight since he moved up two weight classes to challenge middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin six months ago in London. The then-unbeaten Brook enjoyed early success in that fight, but Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) eventually broke the orbital bone around Brook’s right eye and Brook’s trainer, Dominic Ingle, threw in the towel during the fifth round at O2 Arena.
Tickets to the card headlined by Brook-Spence will go on sale March 31.
Showtime will televise Brook-Spence live in the United States. It’ll be broadcast on pay-per-view by Sky Box Office in the United Kingdom.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
